MotoGP Performance Riding New 2nd Edition!Official MotoGP book, the second edition of this practical guide to motorcycle racing technique, aimed at racing and track day enthusiasts at all levels, has been expanded to include extra information as well as many new photographs and up-to-date quotes from MotoGP stars

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The Making of the Fast Dates Calendar& World Championships
on DVD!

Friends of Laguna Seca looks to have won the right to manage track, maybe, probably, it seems
MONTEREY COUNTY BOARD KEEPS OTHER TWO CONTENDERS HANGING ON IN CASE THINGS DON’T WORK OUTReprinted from Autoweek, October 15th 2016 - The non-profit Friends of Laguna Seca is on the way to managing the storied track and bringing it back to fiscal health. Unless, that is, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors decides it wants to go with two other groups vying for management control of the race facility.

Specifically, Friends of Laguna Seca won the right to “negotiate initially” with the county for a concession agreement. The county board would have to approve any agreement that comes out of the negotiations. If things don’t go well in the concession agreement process, then the board can pick up with either of the other two groups that had turned in proposals. Those groups are Chris Pook’s (he who made the Long Beach Grand Prix into a great event) World Automotive Championship of California, and the existing managers, Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (or SCRAMP, which has been running the track since it was built in 1957). SCRAMP bid in partnership with International Speedway Corp. ISC owns and operates 13 tracks, from Daytona to Watkins Glen.

The decision to change track management came out of a civil grand jury report released last July that said the Monterey County Parks Department and SCRAMP were not managing the facility well. If you wanted to cut SCRAMP some slack, you could point out that the troubles date back to 2008, when a recession hit the country and many businesses took a hit. Nonprofit race tracks were among those suffering the effects.

The Friends of Laguna Seca includes local racer and race car restoration and sales expert Bruce Canepa and motorsports entrepreneur Gordon McCall, who puts on The Quail A Motorsports Gathering, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering and the big kickoff event to car week popularly known as The Jet Party, held at Monterey Airport. We’d be happy with those guys running things. Friends leadership also includes vintage racer Jonathan Feiber, Porsche Club and kart racer Ross Merrill, historic racer, karter and food industry executive Thomas Minnich, racer and realtor Warren “Ned” Spieker Jr. and motorsport executive Lauri Eberhart.

On its website, Friends president Ross Merrill said, “We are committed to managing Laguna Seca with fiscal responsibility and for the benefit of our community. We’re driven by a passion for motorsports, a dedication to our community, and a desire to transform nearly six decades of renowned racing legacy into a new engine for our local economy. Ultimately, our aim is to restore the raceway’s former glory.”

The Friends proposal includes a 25-year commitment to rebuild the LSRA complex and implement a new business model that will include:

– A $50 million dollar capital improvement plan with $25 million invested in the first five years
– Establishing a profitable mix of events that will use all the assets of the LSRA
– Maximizing sponsorship opportunities and race track rentals
– Developing premium camping areas and an upgraded rifle/pistol range
– Enhancing the end-user experience facility-wide
– Bringing new events and premium programs to increase utilization within current restrictions, taking particular care to respect neighbors on Highway 68.

We wish them all the best and offer them this item of advice to begin with: Don’t be afraid to call it Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca a couple of times, just to keep your naming rights sponsor happy. But they already knew that.

Monterey, CA , May 15th - Former adversaries SCRAMP and the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) have come together to file a joint bid seeking the next contract to serve as promoters for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
"SCRAMP has reached an agreement with International Speedway Corporation to work jointly on a response to Monterey County's Request for Proposal process for long-term concession management of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca," SCRAMP said in a release.

"ISC's national scale and financial expertise combined with SCRAMP's operational knowledge and many local charitable relationships create a unique synergy providing for the facility's long-term stability. We believe strongly that together we can position Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for success in today's competitive racing environment."

SCRAMP, which has promoted and run the track since 1957, and began reporting to the Monterey Board of Supervisors since 1974, came under fire from the county last year as the board sought a new promoter for the renowned facility. ISC came forward as an interested party, but soon withdrew from the board's search process.
ISC, which is part of NASCAR's empire, is said to have contacted SCRAMP after exiting the process last year, and from those conversations, a new working relationship has been established.
"It is a 'best of both worlds' situation," a SCRAMP representative told RACER.

The county signed a new deal with SCRAMP for 2016 and relaunched another search with the stated goal of inking a long-term contract for 2017 and beyond. SCRAMP has been one of a handful of potential promoters involved in the bidding process, and on Tuesday, the board approved a new process that would not require the collection of formal submissions from all parties prior to evaluating their merits and choosing the best from the group.

With the board now allowing direct negotiation with interested parties, the tenure and local expertise offered by SCRAMP, and strength and reputation of ISC, could present the best combined package for the county to consider.
A final decision on the track's future promoter is expected by October.

NEW! FAST 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 ... Digital Calendar Magazine Yearbooks
the Bikes, the Builders, the Riders, the Kittens,
the Calendar Bike Show, the World Superbike races
all the Calendar Pictures, and Special Features...
We take you around the World for the making of the
2015 FastDates.com Calendars Now in Members Corner

All Three Editions of this new 2017 FastDates.com Calendars feature our official SBK Fast Dates World Superbike
Calendar Kittens
Sara Horvath, Alena Pyshnaya from the Ukraine, and Alena Sovostikova from Russia, who spent the summer in America with Calendar photographer Jim Gianatsis to shoot and work at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca USA World and AMA Superbike, and the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show. Follow the action behind the scrnes at the link above, and in our FAST 2017 Digital Magazine Yearbook in Members Corner.

FAST 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 Digital Calendar Magazines
Go Behind the Scenes for the Making of the FastDates.com Calendars!Each year's FastDates.com Calendar Digital Yearbook features 120 pages of exciting hi-resolution digital photography that takes you with us behind the scenes to our photo shoots at SBK World and AMA Superbike, the LA Calendar Motorcyle Show, and in our photo studio. You'll meet the beautiful Calendar Kitttens in sexy biography pictorials, the top Factory Racers and Custom Bike Builders,and see detailed photo features on the top calendar and race bikes. Take a track day with World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss at Misano, take an Edelsweiss Ducati World Superbike tour of the Ducati Factory & Museum and across Italy, ride a Vespa scooter around Paris and party at the Crazy Horse and the Moulon Rouge. Hang with beautiful teen rock star Taylor Momsen of the Pretty Reckless. Did we forget anything?

Oh yes, and you'll see every page in the new Fast Dates, Garage Girls, Iron & Lace Calendars!

The Los Angeles 6th Street Bridge RememberedOne of the many features in the new FAST 2017 Calendar Digital Yearbook available for viewing now in FastDates.com Members Corner

Fast Dates Calendar Kittens Jessica and Courtney
Featured at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
SBK World & MotoAmerica
National Superbike Race Weekend July 7-9thFeb 15th 2017 - FastDates.com Calendar publisher and photographer Jim Gianatsis is excited to announce that one of our favorite Calendar Kittens, spokes model and Rockstar Energy Drink girl Jessica Harbour from Huntington Beach, CA, has been selected to return with FastDates.com to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA,
for the 2017 SBK World & MotoAmerica National Superbike Race Weekend July 7-9th to shoot the next edition of the Fast Dates World Superbike Swimsuit Calendar and serving as an official SBK World Superbike Podium and Umbrella Girl. Jessica previously shot for Jim with all the top factory race bikes at the 2013 Laguna Seca WSBK round and served as an official SBK girl that weekend as well, with her pictures appearing in the 2015 Fast Dates Calendar. Jessica has continued to work at Laguna Seca WSBK the last years as well, both as an SBK and factory race team umbrella girl.

Joining Jessica
the July 7-9th Laguna Seca race weekend for both the Calendar Shoot and SBK Umbrella Girl duties will be a new FastDates.com Calendar Kitten rookie, fellow Rockstar Girl Courtney Riggs from Sacramento California. Both Courtney and Jessica are represented by the modeling agency Umbrella Girls USA, and work together as Rockstar Girls at the 2017 AMA Supercross Championship rounds across America.

The following weekend of July 15-17th in Los Angeles, Jessica and Courtney will again be working with FastDates.com at the annual LA Calendar Motorcycle Show, with these beautiful Calendar Kittens hosting the Calendar Show with Jim Gianatsis, and shooting with winning motorcycles for the next Iron & Lace Custom Motorcycle PinUp Calendar. For more of the beautiful FastDates.com Calendar Kittens, the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show and to order the Calendars go to - http://www.FastDates.com

We're Back! Riding Edelweiss Motorcycle Tour - From Paris to Omaha, France
Versailles, France, August 2016 - How we spent our summer vacation! On the exciting Edelweiss Bike Travel 2016 Paris to Omaha Beach 10-day motorcycle tour across western France visiting the histroric battle sites of World War II where editor Jim Ginatsis father, B26 bomber pilot Capt. James Gianatsi played a pivital role in te D-say invasion and liberating France. We rode 2-up two-up with awesome FastDates.com SBK World Superbike Calendar Kitten Kaustin "Kaussie" Rose in a story for the FastDates.com Website. Our bike of choice would be the newly introduced BMW R 1000 XR Sport Tourer, based on the potent BMW R 1000 RR Superbike. For the Complete Story Click on the Photos or Check Out the Complete Story Here

FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championships Changes to the Regulations for 2017
In an attempt to make the racing even more exciting between the Two Races per Class on a WSBK Race Weekend,
Saturday's Superpole Results WILL NOT be used for both Stary Line Grid Positions on Saturday and Sunday. Rather for Sunday's 2nd Race of the Weekend, the Front 3 Grid Row Positions will be reversedbased on Saturday;s Race Finishes, so the winning riders will now have to move up through half the starting gird as described below:

The formation of the grid for Race 2 will now be decided following race results from Saturday. Superpole results will continue to define starting positions for riders who finished in 10th position or lower, however the front of the grid will now be determined on Race One results.

• Top three riders move back to row three and see 1st and 3rd reverse their positions.
• Riders who finished in 4th, 5th and 6th will be promoted to the front row.
• Riders who finished in 7th, 8th and 9th will start from the second row.

2017 SBK Motul World Superbike Championship

2017 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar & Entry ListNovember 28th 2016 - A remarkable year for Kawasaki and KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes was rounded off by a 1-2 finish in the Riders’ Championship, as Sykes retained his overall second place with a second place finish. He came home just ahead of Rea after a shortened ten-lap race two at Losail. Jonathan Rea had won the championship itself the day before but the final points scores ended up Rea 498 and Sykes 447 after the very last race of 13-round season.

Pre 2017 Season Testing Gets Underway at
Jerez and Portiamo with all the new factory teamsJonthan Rea and Kawasaki on Top at PortimaoJanuary 25th, Jerez, Spain - MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Jerez test has come to an end in Southern Spain, ending with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) on top as the 27 riders out on track continue to make steps towards 2017. Reigning world champion Rea continues with his strong pre-season form aboard the Kawasaki ZX-10RR and despite a crash at the mid-point through the day, was able to lead the way with a lap time of 1.39.809s. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) had one final push at the end of day two, to boost himself into third position overall, 0.410 behind his team-mate.

Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) stunned under the Spanish sun today, impressive not only with the length of time spent on track – producing over 70 laps – but setting a time only 0.111s off Rea’s. Thought to be testing with Pirelli’s qualifying tyre, his lap time of 1.39.920 is a clear indication of the pace the Aprilia RSV4 RF has heading into the new season. Meanwhile, team-mate Eugene Laverty continues to work on set-up on the brand new machine and ended the day in the top 14; the Irishman set a lap time of 1.41.886 despite being involved in a collision with Randy Krummenacher.

Italian Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished the first test of 2017 in fourth position overall, after leading the way at lunch time. Most notably Melandri finished ahead of Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing –Ducati), as they continue to test the 2017 updates to the Panigale R. Both riders were just 0.5s off the top of the time sheets as they completed the top five with the Italian machine.

Rolling out the brand new Fireblade for its second day on track, Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) was able to put in a solid run of 67 laps on his second day despite continuing to suffer with his knee injury. Improving on his day one time, the Kentucky Kid’s 1.40.548 put him in the top six in Andalucia. Stefan Bradl (Honda World Superbike Team) wasn’t far behind, also improving on his day one time – with 1.40.854 – to put him in ninth. The German continues to adjust to the switch from MotoGP™, whilst developing and understanding the 2017 CBR1000RR SP2.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) continues to improve and develop his YZF R1 throughout the pre-season regime, putting in 83 laps on day two and the Brit was also able to improve on his time set on day one by 0.458s – with a time of 1.40.600. New team-mate Michael van der Mark secured a spot in the top ten at a circuit the Dutchman has enjoyed success at in the past. His lap time of 1.41.450 was an improvement on his time set from the first day.

BARNI Racing Team’s lone recruit Xavi Fores continues to develop and improve his pace aboard the Panigale R, ending the day in eighth and under a second behind Rea’s time. Rookie to the class, Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had a challenging second day at Circuito de Jerez. Crashing with just two hours of the day remaining, the Swiss rider suffered for the afternoon but will still able to improve on his time set in the opening day in Spain.

Markus Reiterberger (Althea BMW Racing Team) may have finished down in 12th position, however the German is continuing to make progress aboard the S 1000 RR. Improving on his time set yesterday by almost a second, it’s clear big steps are being made. Team-mate Jordi Torres had a more difficult day, as the Spaniard suffered a crash in the morning as he high sided at turn three. The Spaniard suffered with an injury to his right arm and was forced to sit out for the remainder of the test.

Chaz Davies and Ducati on Top at PortimaoJanuary 30th, Portiamo, Portugal - MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders took to the Portuguese circuit of Portimao this weekend, to undertake a two day test as the track is set to host round 10 of the championship. With 11 teams present this weekend, there was plenty of information to be taken as the opening round of the season gets ever closer. Despite rain falling on Saturday morning, this didn’t slow our riders pace or passion.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took the honours of finishing on the top spot as teams made their return to the Autodromo Internacional Algarve with a lap time of 1.41.813. The Welshman spent the opening day adjusting to the bumps around the circuit, and beginning to understand the Panigale R’s potential. Improving on his time for day two, the Italian team decided to test the 2016 bike against the 2017 model which enabled them to understand how to work through issues they came across in Jerez.

Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a steady weekend working through the set-up of the bike; ending Saturday in the top three and day two just inside the top eight. Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team-mates Michael Rinaldi and Mike Jones were the top two European Superstock 1000 riders over the weekend, with a top time of 1.44.937.

Milwaukee Aprilia continue to understand and improve aboard their brand new Aprilia RSV4-RF, as Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori completed the top three on the timing sheets. Irish rider Laverty took away many positives from his second test of 2017, stating: “I feel a lot more confidence ahead of Phillip Island after this test. I was lacking so much confidence in Jerez because I couldn't attack and everytime I'd lean into a corner I'd have so much chatter that I was expecting to crash. It’s so nice to be able push hard again here because that's what riders enjoy.”

Savadori mirrored his team-mates feelings following the two day tests, however he is still keen to work on race pace ahead of the start of the much anticipated season opener in under a month’s time. Lapping just 0.041s behind Laverty, it’s clear the pair will be competitive as the paddock heads Down Under.

Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) had his second outing of 2017 this weekend, but only his second day of testing aboard the 1000 F4 with a strong time of 1.42.339 which secured him a position in the top five on the time sheets. The Brit made up for lost time, putting in almost 100 laps of the circuit over the two days and left feeling pleasantly surprised with how the testing had gone. The Italian’s World Supersport effort were also present in Portugal and new recruit PJ Jacobsen set the fastest time for his class; a 1.46.229 whilst European Superstock team-mate Alessandro Zaccone finished within 1.6s of the American.

Race simulations were the theme of the Portimao test for Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), as he continues to build up plenty of data as well as work on the electronics on the 2017 spec YZF R1. Finishing in the top six, Lowes explains: “I was satisfied with the pace and the lessons we can learn from it. I've trying to keep calm and change my approach so we'll see if it works when we start racing.”

Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) felt fast from the beginning of the Portimao test, as he concentrates on modifying his riding style. The young Dutch rider put in over 80 laps on day two, and clocked a time within the top seven: “I'm very happy about this test because we were fast from the start and the feeling was good. We're a lot closer to the front here too and that's what I was looking for. I feel really happy on the bike and now that I have this feeling it's very good.”

Honda World Superbike team took another step to understanding their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 this weekend, and injured Nicky Hayden ended the test feeling frustrated as himself and his team continue to work through the issues encountered with the brand new machine. Despite this, the 2006 MotoGP™ World Champion finished in the top nine over the weekend but explains: “To be honest it's been a pretty frustrating couple of days but this isn't the first time that I've had a frustrating test in my life and we'll work on it.”
Stefan Bradl also continues to work through issues found with the 2017 bike, as the German struggles with traction control and grip this weekend – but he was able to finish in 11th position, 1.883 off Davies’ time.

Althea BMW had a large presence at the Portimao test this weekend, with four riders on track in Portugal. Raffaele de Rosa (Althea BMW Racing Team) was in for injured Jordi Torres, taking on his first duties of the season for the team and finishing in the top 12, collecting all important data for the team. Markus Reiterberger (Althea BMW Racing Team) had a difficult couple of days with the S 1000 RR, as he continues understand how to build his pace and feeling on the machine. Marco Faccani (Althea BMW Racing Team) had a steady test aboard the STK1000 machine, finishing in the top four despite still riding injured from Jerez. Julien Puffe (Althea MF84) is building and improving his pace with the new STK1000 team, making strong progress.

Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) was able to secure a spot in the top 13, with a time of 1.43.800, as the Spaniard continues to build on his strong pace so far this winter. New team Guandalini Racing are making steady progress in the winter testing, with STK1000 graduate Riccardo Russo setting the 14th fastest time on Sunday. Making his debut with his new WorldSBK team, Leandro Mercado (IODARacing) was able to begin the test unpressurised by the team and began day one with no timings. Sunday saw the Argentinean make his way into the top 15 for his first outing.

CIA Landlord Insurance Honda were present at the Portimao test, and they World Supersport team left Portugal feeling productive, once the team was able to get out on to the dry track. Jules Cluzel, Robin Mulhauser and Hikari Okubo were all present, and made some strong lap times and took some good data from the circuit. After a dramatic few weeks, Puccetti Racing had three bikes out on track at Portimao in order to make the most from the difficult situation they are in. Former WorldSBK rider Leon Haslam took to the track on Randy Krummenacher’s WorldSBK bike, and set the fourth fastest lap time overall. Kyle Ryde continued to help the team and work on running in engines, as well as building on his pace meaning he had a steady two day’s at the track. Michael Canducci was the second fastest WorldSSP rider this weekend, as he tests the Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI Kawasaki.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #7) 1:41.813
“We did a lot of work in the past two days, as well as in Jerez, and overall we can be happy with the results. We completed a detailed program to evaluate all the technical upgrades, with good feedback. We were also lucky with the weather, because the rain only kept us in the pits during the first few hours on Saturday. Despite the fact that some areas were repaved, the track has gotten a bit bumpier since we last raced here and, consequently, it wasn’t easy to find the best possible setup. These tests, after a two-month break, were also crucial to allow me to get back the feeling I had on the bike towards the end of last year. Only in Portugal, we clocked more than 700 kilometers. The team has done a great job, and we’re optimistic ahead of the season opener in Australia, where we’ll take advantage of the final tests to fine-tune the details.”

Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #33) 1:43.344
“In these tests, we focused our work on race distance, but we’ve encountered a bit more difficulties compared with Jerez, partially due to some setup experiments that didn’t yield the expected benefits, but also because of the track’s conditions, as there are a bit too many bumps. We also did a race simulation, which was split in two because of red flags. We lacked a bit of stability and rear grip in order for me to ride with as much ease as I would have liked, but it was important nonetheless as we verified, with encouraging results, my fitness. At any rate, the overall feedback is positive. Until now everything worked perfectly, but it’s also important to confront ourselves with some obstacles, as there will be a few awaiting also during the championship. Now we’ll sit down with the whole crew to define the base ahead of Phillip Island.”

Jonthan Rea

RT READY TO FLY AFTER FINAL EUROPEAN WINTER TESTFebruary 2nd, Fontera, Spain - Kawasaki Racing Team pairing Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea concluded their final European-based winter tests on the Ninja ZX-10RR at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, on 1st and 2nd February, sharing the track with some of their 2017 rivals. Experiencing mixed weather conditions at the tests Rea confidently topped the times with his day one best lap, with Sykes posting the second fastest lap as he worked through set-up and component options.

With a wet track on the morning of the first day of testing Tom and Jonathan got down to serious work that afternoon as the asphalt dried out. Rea also tried out some new race and multi-lap qualifying tyre options supplied by Pirelli. He set an impressive 1’39.248 lap time but Wednesday would be his final pre-season dry track session in Europe as the rains returned on day two. Rea, the champion in 2015 and 2016 for Kawasaki celebrated his 30thbirthday today and was again fastest of all, even in wet conditions.

Sykes, working on modifications to his 2017 machine in readiness for the first round of the year in Australia (to be held between 24th and 26th February) used all of the dry and much of the wet track conditions to narrow down his set-up and component options. Not reverting to testing new race or qualifying tyres, the 2013 world champion set his best lap of 1’40.930 in the dry part of Wednesday afternoon. He was also second quickest in the wet o! f Thursday

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team Rider): “The test was really positive. On the first day we waited for the track to dry and then we got some valuable track time. We maximised that by testing different suspension set ups, with the 2016 fork as the base, to try out some ideas. We confirmed the best chassis and suspension set up that we will start the year with and we worked with some engine components and clutches, to understand what my preference is. We practiced starts and found something that was good for me. Pirelli also brought some development tyres to try, which we gave some time to. We crossed a few things off our list and back-to-backed a few things. We were also trying to look for some performance, a bit of lap time and we did that on Wednesday. We are getting ready now for Phillip Island.”

New Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team unveiled at Hangar-7February 7th 2016 - The famous Red Bull Hangar-7 facility in Salzburg, Austria, provided the stunning backdrop for the unveiling of the Red Bull Honda World Superbike team, which will charge into the 2017 WorldSBK season with Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl riding the brand-new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.

Centre stage were the two riders and their machines sporting the world-famous Red Bull logo and colours. Representatives from the international media, Honda Motor Europe, sponsors, technical partners and WorldSBK organiser Dorna attended the much-anticipated event which heralded an exciting collaboration between Honda and Red Bull.

The event was watched live by fans and motorsport enthusiasts around the world, who tuned in to the action via the new www.RedBull-Honda.com website and the HondaProRacing Facebook Page. Red Bull, the world’s leading energy drink company and for decades a key player in motorsports and action-sports, now enters the World Superbike paddock for the first time as a team title partner. Taking the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team colours to the track on board the all-new 2017 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine will be the World Champion duo of Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl.

Crowned MotoGP™ World Champion in 2006 with Honda when he was in the Red Bull stable, Hayden had a very positive rookie WorldSBK season last year, with one race win and four podium finishes. Stefan Bradl, Moto2 World Champion in 2011 and long-time Red Bull athlete, has already shown great speed during winter testing on the Fireblade, and is now looking forward to this exciting new challenge.

Revealed! The 2017 Ducati 215hp / 368 lb 1299cc Superleggera Bologna Italy November 5th 2017 - Ducati has revealed a new limited edition lightweight version of their latest big bore 1299cc V-Twin Superbike, the 1299 Superlegera. The previous2014 year limited edition 11999 Superlegera retailed for USD $68,000, so expected this new model to be priced even higher with the addition of its Carbon Fiber Airbox Subframe to attach the front forks, and new lightweight carbon fiber wheels. This is a pure Collector's bike as the larger 1299cc engine dispersant and carbon fibre wheels make it ineligible for FIM / AMA racing. It should also be noted the Superquadro engine performance upgrades which premiered in the 2014 model year 1199cc Superleggera became available the following year in the 2015 homologation 1199R Superbike for $33,000.

From the left: Builder Hirokai Takai, Calendar Show producer Jim Gianatsis, Calendar Kitten Kaustin Rose, Best of Show winner Yuichiti Yoshizkwa, Kittens Alissa Bourne and Daria Dali.
We Have a Winner! Yuichiti Yoshizkwa takes 2016 LA Calendar Motorcycle Best of Show Calabasas, CA, July 23rd, 2016 - Yuichiti Yoshizkwa / Custom Works Zou, flew his bike in from Japan to take Best of Show at the 2016 LA Calendar Motorcycle Show. This was the 5th year in a row that Asian Builders had claimed the top spot at America's premier custom motorcyce show with their unique had craft builds. Yuichiti's Cafe Racer themed bike features a front swingarm suspension with its Amrican V-Twin replica Shovel Head fed by a exhaust driver turbocharger!

Raccia Customs took 1st Place Cafe Racer with this incredible retro moded1967 Kawasaki W1. You'll find this bike featured in the Calendar Bike Garage.

Lorenzo raises his Michelin Paddock Ferme marker.

FIM 2016 MotoGP World Championhip, Round 18 of 18 Valencia Spain

Lorenzo Says "Good Bye" to Yamaha
with a dominating 2016 Season Finale Weekend at ValenciaGran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, Sunday, 13 November 2016 - In his 250th Grand Prix start, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo said goodbye to that title in stunning style, as the ‘Spartan’ took a lights-to-flag signature victory in his final appearance in Yamaha blue before moving to Team Ducati next season. A record-breaking pole saw the Spaniard then escape at the front, holding off a late charge from reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). An Italian battle royale decided the final podium place, with Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) taking P3 on the penultimate lap.

Maverick Viñales / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP in a one-time set of leathers and bodywork.

It's Lonely at the top: Viñales Dominates on Lorenzo’s Yamah!aMovistar Yamaha MotoGP's new signing tops both days of testing in ValenciaMotoGP Official 2- Day Test , November 15-16th 2016 - Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is settling into his new home well – fastest on day one at the Valencia test and then repeating the feat on day two for an amazing debut. A 1:29.975 in the afternoon saw the former Moto3™ World Champion take over at the top, after completing 66 laps on his second day at Yamaha as Jorge Lorenzo's relapacement. With blue skies once again and good, seasonal temperatures, conditions were nigh on perfect for one of the paddock’s key days of the pre-season.

Viñales’ teammate Valentino Rossi ended the day a little further down the timesheets in P7, completing a program of 45 laps and suffering no crashes – after losing some track time on day one following a fall on when testing back to back 2016 and 2017 equipment. The 9-time World Champion put in a best of 1:30.709, and next up heads to Malaysia alongside Viñales to test in Sepang – with most on the grid instead heading for Jerez next week.

Repsol Honda Team were testing a multitude of different engine and frame combinations and evolutions from 2016 and 2017, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez suffering a fall between Turns 1 and 2 after running on and then heading into the gravel slowly; just unable to keep the Repsol Honda upright. Marquez did a total of 58 laps with a best of 1:30.171 and went second – doing some longer runs later in the afternoon, and taking advantage of the final minutes of track time for a practice start.

Dani Pedrosa was out the box a little later than his teammate Marquez, as he continues to recover from a broken collarbone – amongst other injuries – sustained at the Twin Ring Motegi, and the ‘Baby Samurai’ accordingly put in a lesser 38 laps on day two, including a good amount of time on the black liveried 2017 bike. Pedrosa ended the day around half a second off his teammate, in P5 with a 1:30.686.

Jorge Lorenzo in his one-time set of non manufcturer brand leathers on the Ducati.

New Norton V4 RR 1200cc SuperbikeBitmingham Englans, November 23rd, 2016 - Born on the Isle of Mann this past summer in the heat of battle, the new Norton V-4 in SS Street Configuration and RR Track Configuration was premiered in production form at this past weekends Birmingham NEC Motorcycle Show in England.

Chassis design was developed at the world's most rigorous race track - the Isle of Man TT. The geometry, weight distribution & ergonomics were all tested and developed on the SG5 TT race bike which finished seventh at the Superbike TT and achieved a 131mph average speed lap in 2016 at the hands of Australian rider David Johnson.

Marc Marquez celebrates his 5th World Championship with his brother Alex

Marc Marquez: The Story of a ChampionA third premier class crown in four years for the 2016 MotoGP™ World Champion

The end of 2015 saw Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lose the title of World Champion for the first time since moving into the premier class of motorcycle racing, as the historic battle between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took over at the top of the table and Marquez suffered his mistakes. Crashes, struggles and controversy marked the toughest year of Marquez’ premier class career – and 2016 saw the rider from Cervera stage an incredible comeback. Controlled, poised and willing to play the long game: this was the new Marquez, and he was here to take back his crown.

Marquez made his debut in the World Championship in 2008 at 15, and although his rookie season was curtailed by injury, he made headlines by achieving a podium result in just his sixth race. He picked up another podium result in 2009, before becoming 125 World Champion for the first time in 2010 - winning an incredible ten of the last 14 races of the year.

In the Moto2™ class the following season, the rider from Cervera had a tough start before going on an incredible winning run, taking seven victories to hunt down the mammoth lead accrued by title rival Stefan Bradl – including a podium in Phillip Island from 38th on the grid. A crash in practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix then halted the season, and Marquez was forced to cede the title fight with serious problems with his eyesight. Not knowing whether the problem could be solved, Marquez had a tough off season with his career in doubt - until surgery was able to correct the problem, and he was finally able to get back on the bike. When he did, he obliterated the opposition and took the 2012 Moto2™ World Championship – including an unbelievable win from the back of the grid at the season finale Valencian GP.

Fresh from that historic win, the newly crowned Champion of the intermediate class then got to try his new MotoGP™ bike for the first time at the Valencia test – joining Repsol Honda and finding big shoes to fill as Casey Stoner retired.
On the podium first time out and winning his second ever premier class Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Marquez became the youngest ever rider to clinch the premier class world title in MotoGP™, thanks to a truly amazing debut season. He also became the first rookie premier class World Champion for 35 years.

The 2014 campaign saw Marquez raise the bar as he built up a huge lead in the Championship with ten successive victories in the opening ten rounds of the season. Teammate Pedrosa then halted the streak with a victory in Brno, a result that started a mid season blip that saw him off the podium in three races in four. Back on top by Silverstone, Marquez wrapped up the title in Japan at the Twin Ring Motegi – the home of manufacturer Honda.

2015 began well, with a win in Texas second time out and Marquez looking to defend his crown. But too many crashes and points lost as the Yamaha charge of Rossi and Lorenzo gained traction saw Marquez out of contention by the time the flyaways came around – but a stunning win in Phillip Island saw Marquez back on the top step. After taking victory in one of the greatest races of all time, Marquez and Rossi then clashed next time out in Sepang – with Marquez crashing out and Rossi awarded a penalty for the incident. Valencia saw the rider from Cervera take another home podium in P2 to complete the year, ready to recharge over the winter and take back his crown from new World Champion Lorenzo.

The scars of last season have created a new rider. Where 2015 saw the Spaniard push too hard and make mistakes, this season has replaced those flaws with calm and control – pushing when the victory is there to be taken, and taking the points when the stakes are too high. The strategy – that Marquez explains as the way to win a title rather than win the most races – has seen the 2013, 2014 and now 2016 MotoGP™ World Champion equal great rival Lorenzo with a third premier class crown – his fifth World Championship. Taking the title at the home of Honda at Motegi - as he did in 2014 - Marquez' ride to a stunning fifth win of the season was enough, as Rossi and Lorenzo crashed out of both the race and the Championship fight in the high drama in Japan.

Wins in Texas, Argentina, Germany and Aragon saw the Spaniard 52 points clear ahead of the Japanese GP at Motegi. The only rider to score points in every race, the 2016 MotoGP™ World Champion is Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez – once again.

Leslie Graham riding the AJS Porcupine in 1949

First GP winner, the 1949 AJS Porcupine E90The most recent winning bike in the premier class to join the first – from 1949 –
in a lap of the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana

Nov 12th 2016 - The most recent winning bike in the premier class to join the first – from 1949 – in a lap of the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana. In an incredible one-off event to mark the end of the 25th anniversary celebrating the collaboration between the FIM, Dorna, the MSMA and IRTA, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will be joined by the AJS Porcupine E90 – the winning bike of the first 500cc World Championship in 1949 - in a special lap of honour at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo after MotoGP Warm Up. Sammy Miller will ride alongside Marc Marquez on the legendary machine that won the first ever World Championship.

Living legend Miller is an eleven-time British Trials Champion, twice European Trials Champion, and a multiple World Championship podium finisher. The Northern Irishman now presides over one of the biggest collections of motorcycles in the world in the Sammy Miller Museum – the home of the AJS Porcupine E90.

The Honda RC213V ridden by Marquez will share the lap of honour with the bike taken to that historic first premier class title by Leslie Graham in 1949, proving the perfect final piece in both a history-making 2016 season and the 25th anniversary celebrations - bringing together the first and the most recent winning motorcycles in the premier class of Grand Prix racing.

KTM Unveils Its New MotoGP Bike to Race in 2017August 2016 - The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, at the Austrian round of MotoGP Championsgip, saw KTM officially present its MotoGP project, the KTM RC16. There had been months of testing, with press releases and photos issued. There had been KTM's participation in the private MotoGP test at the Red Bull Ring in July, alongside the rest of the MotoGP teams. But at the Austrian GP, the fans and media got their first chance to see the bike close up.

There are few surprises: 1000cc V4 engine, using pneumatic valves, housed in a tubular steel trellis frame and an aluminum swing arm. Suspension is by WP, while brakes are by Brembo, and exhaust by Akrapovic. Electronics are the spec MotoGP Magneti Marelli ECU.

Big Horsepower Numbers
Really interesting are the numbers for maximum engine revs and horsepower. Like all official numbers on values such as torque, horsepower, and revs, they are not to be trusted, but these both seem highly inaccurate. KTM claims the RC16 makes 250hp. It certainly makes that, and probably 10% more, given that most MotoGP engines are believed to make somewhere between 260 and 275 horsepower.

Reports from the track said that the KTM was not short of top speed, though test rider Mika Kallio told a group of reporters that he believed they were still down a little on the Ducati. "On the engine side, we are on the good level," the Finnish test rider told us. "There is still room to improve, at the moment the Ducati is still the fastest bike on the straight, so we are not there, but we are close to the other bikes." Those who saw the speeds through the speed traps reported KTM as being very fast indeed, though no one would be drawn into revealing actual speeds.

19,000 RPM?!
Where does that horsepower come from? On the corporate blog, KTM report the maximum revs as being 19,000 RPM. If that number is accurate, it is insanely high: MotoGP adopted the engine bore limit of 81mm precisely to limit engine speeds, after the manufacturers rejected a mandatory rev limit. Conventional engineering wisdom had it that reliable engines would not be able to rev much above 16,000 RPM, as engine speeds above that would place too much stress on pistons and conrods, causing them to fall apart. A mean piston speed (MPS) (link is external) of 26 m/s was believed to be a fairly firm limit.

That has not turned out to be the case. The bikes were soon revving well up towards 17,000 RPM, and making further inroads into the laws of physics. According to our research, the Ducatis can rev to 18,000 RPM, the Hondas to 17,750 RPM, the Yamahas to 17,250 RPM (with satellite bikes having engine limits set several hundred RPM below the max revs of the factory machines). Ducati was already achieving an MPS of 29.1 m/s, a seemingly impossibly high number. If KTM really are revving to 19,000 RPM, that would be an MPS of 30.7 m/s, which is up in drag engine territory. Dragsters have to cover around 1200 meters between engine rebuilds. MotoGP bikes have to hang together for close to 2000 kilometers.

How do KTM – or Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha, for that matter – achieve such engine speeds? MPS – mean piston speed – is a rough approximation, but it is not an accurate reflection of the stresses placed on the engine. What matters is the amount of acceleration and deceleration which the piston and connecting rod undergo as they slow down for bottom and top dead center, then speed up again towards the middle of the stroke. The weight of components such as pistons, wrist pins and conrods is a factor here, as force is acceleration times mass, and force is stress.

Clearly, the factories are working to find clever ways of reducing stress, which will include lighter weight components, paying close attention to mass distribution, the location of the wrist pin, and smoothing the transition between acceleration and deceleration as much as possible. What they are doing is impossible to know, nor how they are doing it. But the lessons learned will at some point pass down into production vehicles, though we may have to wait a few years to find out.

The KTM V-Four
What we do know about the engine is layout of the engine. Though KTM Technical Director Sebastian Risse was cagey when asked directly what layout the engine used, he tacitly acknowledged it was a 90° V4. When I put it to him that the aim of running the bike without a balance shaft had implications for engine design, he replied, "This is true, yes." Not an admission as such, but as close as you might expect from a factory engineer.

The engine firing order is also not yet fixed. When asked whether the engine would have a big bang (cylinders firing together) or screamer (each cylinder firing separately) firing order, Risse answered that KTM had not yet made up their minds. "We are still doing some investigations about this," Risse said. "Especially now with the electronics, there's not just the mechanical firing order, there's more about it, and you can play a lot with it." What he is implying is that although two pistons may reach TDC at the same time, the charges in the cylinders can be ignited a degree or so apart. That can help smooth the power delivery, and reduce the load placed on the crankshaft.

Feb 1st 2107 -
The new-generation Harley-Davidson® flat-track motorcycle isconfirmed to be Harley's only factory race bike entry in 2017, replacing their decades old iconic FXR750. The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® Factory Team is unleashing the XG750R, its first all-new flat track race bike in 44 years, to battle in fierce, adrenaline-filled competition on dirt ovals across the U.S.

Powered by the fuel-injected, liquid-cooled Harley-Davidson Revolution X™ V-Twin engine, the XG750R will be raced by Factory Team rider Davis Fisher on the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines flat track series. The new XG750R motorcycle is strictly for race competition and will not be offered for sale at this time.

The new flat tracker is powered by the 750cc Revolution X™ V-Twin engine designed for the Harley-Davidson Street® 750, a motorcycle built for maximum urban maneuverability with rebellious Dark Custom™ attitude. Tuned for the track, this modified Revolution X engine will power the new XG750R in the extreme heat of competition as it fights to be first to the finish line.

The race-modified Revolution X engine and a racing frame for the XG750R were developed by Vance & Hines Motorsports. Vance & Hines also is the partner for the factory Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines drag racing program where V-Rod® motorcycles have won eight of the past 12 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing championships.

“After decades of flat-track racing success behind the Harley-Davidson XR750 flat track motorcycle, we knew it was time to develop the next-generation Harley-Davidson to compete in one of the best spectator racing sports out there today,” said Kris Schoonover, Harley-Davidson racing manager. Fisher, in his first season racing with the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Factory Team and a rookie on the GNC1 series, will be the first racer aboard the XG750R. The 18-year-old racer from Warren, Ore., won the 2015 AMA Pro GNC2 championship.

“We wanted a young rider with plenty of raw ability for the XG750R program, and Davis proved himself in the GNC2 class,” said Schoonover. “We are excited to have the opportunity to bring an emerging talent like Davis up to the GNC1 series to develop the new bike alongside an experienced champion like Brad Baker.”

Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Factory Team rider Brad Baker, 23 years old and the 2013 AMA Pro Grand National Champion, will continue to race aboard the proven Harley-Davidson XR750 motorcycle while Fisher races the XG750R through its developmental stage.

At the May 29th 2016 Springfield Mile, H-D factory rider Davis Fisher finished 8th on the new Harley XG750R, behind behind a slew of Kawasaki Ninja 650 in-line twins, and 9 seconds down behind podium finishers factory Harley Rider Brad Baker in 3rd on the old XR750, privateer Jared Mees also on an XR750, with Bryan Smith on a Kawasaki Ninja 650 taking the race win. The more advanced design of the 4-valve DOHC Kawasaki engine proving highly competitive despiteits smaller displacement.

“The XG750R has shown great potential in testing and the first few races this season,” said Schoonover. “But as with any new racing motorcycle, there will be work to do. We’re excited to continue testing the XG750R in real world competition, and as we make our way through the season, we will evaluate the performance of the bike and our factory riders to see if Baker might switch to the new bike.”

Check Harley-Davidson.com for a full listing of this season’s races; also follow Harley-Davidson on Facebook for racing updates.

Now in the Calendar Bike Garage... The World's Coolest Naked Ducati!
Beauitful FastDates.com Calendar Kitten Sara takes us for a ride on the world's most exotic and expensive Ducati streetbike
ever - a $110,000 Vyrus NCR 983 Superleggera in the Calendar Bike Garage and in Members Corner.

Fast Dates Calendar Celebrates 22 years of SBK World Superbike in America
California, USA, July 17-20th 2016 - For the 22nd year since SBK World Superbike first came to America at Laguna Seca Raceway in 1995, the FastDates.com Calendars and myself, producer / photographer Jim Gianatsis were excited to continue
our ongoing association with SBK World Superbike and the UmbrellaGirlsUSA.com to bring 2 more beautiful FastDates.com Calendar Kittens; Kaustin Lanae and Alissa Bourne to shoot with me at the 2016 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca United States SBK World Superbike and AMA National race weekend July 8-10th. There they served as the official SBK Podium Girls and helped me shoot the next Fast Dates World & AMA Superbike Calendar. Then, two weekends later they both would work the
26th annual LA Calendar Motorcycle Show and Calendar shoot in Los Angeles on July 23-24th. Continued Here

The Official SBK
2016-2017 YearbookThese SBK Yearbooks are the Best Books Ever about World Superbike. They feature wesome color photography of the riders, bike and racing action. The feature a deailed revue of the past season in pictures and stactics, awith a detailed look at the bikes and riders.

Plus a technical look data all the bikes, a preview of the upcoming season's Championship!
We buy this every year ourselves and highly recommend it!

The Official SBK
2015-2016 Yearbook

2014-2015 Yearbook

SBK World Superbike Video Game

Official Print Media Partner

Motul Announced as
Title Sponsponsor of
2017-2018 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Costa Mesa, CA, OCT. 14 - MotoAmerica has announced the return of Motul as one of its supporting partners with the leading producer of motorcycle lubricants signing on as the class sponsor of the Superbike class for the 2017-2018 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race Championship. The class will be known for the next two years as the Motul Superbike class.

"Motul has really stepped up for next year," said three-time 500cc World Champion and MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. "Not only are they a supporting partner of our series going forward, but they've also committed to being the class sponsor of our premier Superbike class. Motul is a big sponsor of motorcycle road racing worldwide and we're happy to have them as a part of MotoAmerica. I also have a relationship with them that goes back to 1990 when they were a sponsor of mine during my first World Championship."

"There isn't a better way to support American road racing than being the Superbike class exclusive sponsor, where teams, strategies, and machines are pushed to the limit," said Guillaume Pailleret, President of Motul North America. "It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to showcase our products through our teams, and to have our name as a central piece of MotoAmerica races and events. This event, along with other prestigious FIM-sanctioned races like MotoGP and the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship shape a unique trio of extremely challenging motorcycle events, which Motul sponsors at the top level. We couldn't possibly be prouder of being a part of the MotoAmerica adventure."

The 10-round 2017 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race series is set to kick-off at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, April 20-23.

MotoAmerica Announces Double Header race Weekends in 2017, Expanded 10 Round Schedule
Costa Mesa, CA, OCT. 12 - MotoAmerica has announced that its Superbike doubleheaders will now be run on separate days during the 2017 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race Championship with Superbike race one scheduled for Saturday afternoon followed by race two on Sunday afternoon.

"With World Superbike changing to the two-day Superbike race format, it was something that was always of interest to us," said MotoAmerica partner Chuck Aksland. "It was good to watch them do it for a year and get their feedback, which was positive on many fronts. They had increased Saturday attendance and better television viewership, among other things. We also had many requests from our fan base to make the change. Obviously, the two-day format was something that has been done here in previous years, but with our move to the World Superbike one-bike rule for 2017, it became more of a necessity as it gives the teams some flexibility and breathing space in the preparation from race to race."

At the stand-alone MotoAmerica races, Superbike race one will be held on Saturday afternoon with Sunday's race two on a similar schedule with a tentative 3:15 p.m. start time. The other classes (Supersport/Superstock 600 and KTM RC Cup) will continue to run the two-day format as they have in the first two seasons of MotoAmerica. The schedule will vary somewhat when MotoAmerica joins MotoGP at the Circuit of The Americas and World Superbike at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

"I like the two-day format for our races," said two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier. "I've always liked the idea of being able to sleep on the results from Saturday and come back Sunday with some fresh ideas for improvement. Even if your results are good on Saturday, it's nice to have some time before race two because you can always make things better and go faster. I also think the fans like having a Superbike race on both days so they can make a weekend out of it."

In addition to the schedule change, MotoAmerica has also announced that the qualifying procedure for the Superbike class has also changed. Superpole will now consist of just one 15-minute session featuring the 12 fastest riders from Superbike Practice 1 and 2. Superbike Practice 3 will not qualify riders to the Superpole session.

The 10-round 2017 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race series is set to kick-off at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, April 20-23.

Sept 22nd 2016 - Two Aprilia RSV4 bikes will be on the track in the 2017 World Superbike Championship with the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team colours.
This is a two-year contract, so it will also be valid for 2018.

The agreement specifies that technical material and related direct assistance and support will be provided by Aprilia Racing, including bike development, which classifies Milwaukee as a Supported Factory Team.

This means that Aprilia Racing - the Piaggio Group racing department and technological point of excellence in the Italian motorcycle industry - is confirming its high level presence in the premier competition for factory derivative bikes, alongside its important efforts in MotoGP.

The goal is to compete at top levels in World SBK in order to emphasize the competitiveness of the Aprilia RSV4, capable of taking no less than seven World Titles (three Rider and four Manufacturer) between 2010 and 2014, proving to be the most victorious bike in recent WSBK history.

The result of a project intended to create a true racing bike that any enthusiast could have, the RSV4 astonished from its rookie season, winning a race in its maiden year and then racking up repeated championship wins in both the Manufacturer and Rider competitions (twice with Max Biaggi and once with Sylvain Guintoli). All this while the street version - obviously also characterized by an exclusive narrow 1.0 litre V4 - continued to win comparative reviews year after year with the best competitors in the world, both European and Japanese.

The team run by Shaun Muir, which boasts two British titles, will be able to count on a top shelf rider lineup: in addition to the 2015 Superstock Champion Lorenzo Savadori, who quickly drew attention this year in his rookie World Superbike season, Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty will be back in WSBK, 2013 runner up astride none other than an Aprilia RSV4.

Romano Albesiano - Aprilia Racing Manager
"Shaun Muir's team, after making a good name for themselves in the British championship, wants to get to the top of a world category. Our agreement includes, in addition to providing bikes and materials, support from Aprilia Racing personnel to manage and develop the RSV4, within a Factory Support type relationship.
The birth of the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team also marks Eugene Laverty's return to WSBK, a rider who we know well and whose professional and personal qualities have our utmost respect. He will have Lorenzo Savadori working alongside him, a young rider who has been part of our sports project for two seasons in which he won the Superstock 1000 title first and then drew attention in WSBK with an extremely positive rookie year".

Shaun Muir - SMR General Manager - "For SMR, collaboration with Aprilia Racing for 2017 and 2018 means a real chance to fight for the win. Aprilia has a strong and victorious history in World Superbike and we are determined to continue on the same path. Having Eugene and Lorenzo on board makes this a dream team. Without a doubt, Eugene is coming back to WSBK for one reason only - to win. Lorenzo, on the other hand, is the fastest rookie and a sure protagonist. I wish to thank Milwaukee, Gulf and all of the partners who are supporting our project".

Eugene Laverty - "I'm excited to return to Superbike with Aprilia and the RSV4, a bike with which I took ten wins and second place overall in the championship. I hope to be able to pick up where I left off with those results, thanks to the support of Aprilia and a fantastic team like Shaun Muir's. Everything is in place for us to be competitive straight away".

Lorenzo Savadori - "I am very happy to continue my adventure in World Superbike with Aprilia. This is another chance to achieve great results, with one more year of experience on the RSV4 for me. In a demanding rookie season I was already able to express a good performance level, learning a lot, both about race management and working in the garage, but I do not want to stop here. We will definitely be highly motivated at the start, with an ambitious project and a great desire to do well".

Jason Chiswell - Vice President of Marketing Milwaukee Tools
"At Milwaukee Power tools our vision is always to win and that same mentality is shared with the SMR team. We see the next year with Aprilia as being an exciting and a new winning chapter in our World Superbike program”.

Frank Rutten - Vice President of Gulf Oil International- "As the world’s fastest growing oil brand we are very excited by the prospect of moving forwards with what we believe will be one of the most rapid teams in SBK next year. We have been extremely impressed by the way SMR has entered the World Superbike arena. They are one of the best organized and most professional outfits in the paddock and we have developed an excellent working relationship with both them and the team’s title sponsor, Milwaukee Tools.

We are very excited by the prospect of moving forwards with them as team sponsor and official lubricant partners”.

Honda WorldSBK Team signs Stefan Bradl for the 2017 WorldSBK season
August 2nd 2016 -The Honda WorldSBK Team is pleased to announce the signing of 26-year-old Stefan Bradl from Germany for the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship. Crowned Moto2 World Champion in 2011, Bradl will join former MotoGP™ Champion Nicky Hayden to complete a stellar line-up for Honda next season.

Despite his young age, Bradl has a wealth of experience at international level. Since his 125cc debut in 2005, he has collected nineteen podium finishes and seven wins across all Grand Prix classes. After winning the Moto2 World Championship in 2011, Stefan made his MotoGP debut with the LCR Honda Team in 2012 where his best result was a second-place finish at Laguna Seca in 2013.

The Honda WorldSBK Team would like to thank Michael van der Mark for his outstanding efforts and title-winning contribution during his tenure as a Honda rider. The team will maintain its unconditional support for Michael for the remainder of the season, with the goal of achieving the best possible results.

The Honda WorldSBK Team is pleased to confirm that its riders for the 2017 season will be Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl.

Ducati team on track in 2017 with Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri
The Aruba.it Racing - Bologna, Italy, July 28th - The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team finalized its line-up for the 2017 WorldSBK Championship, confirming Chaz Davies and signing an agreement with Marco Melandri. Chaz and Marco have already been teammates in the past with great results, their common goal is to fight for the victory at each round and aim at the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ world titles.

Chaz Davies, 29, is currently in the middle of his third season with Ducati and, thus far, has secured 9 wins and 32 podiums overall on the Panigale R, showing constant progress and winning the hearts of many Ducati fans.

“I’m extremely happy to renew my professional relationship with Ducati for two more seasons,” Davies said. “The continuity element is really important in our job, and so far we’ve made great strides and got progressively closer to our goal. Now we can fight for the win practically on every track, and I’m confident we can make further improvements. Moreover, to race for Ducati is something special: everything is done with heart and passion, you really feel part of a family and have a direct connection between the production and racing. It’s going to be exciting.”

Thirty-four-year-old Melandri, on the other hand, will return to the production-based series, where he has claimed 19 wins and 49 overall podiums in 100 races.

“I’m really excited to come back to racing, it’s a dream come true,” Melandri stated. “I always said I was only interested in a top bike and top team, and I could not have asked for more. I kept following WorldSBK closely, and I’m confident the Panigale R can perfectly suit my riding style. We’ll just have to take one step at a time, but the potential is surely high. I know it won’t be easy to get back up to speed, but I have all the time to step on the bike, do laps and make sure I’m ready for the first test: to this end, I will skip the holidays to train on a street version of the Panigale R.”

The 2016 championship marks Davide Giugliano’s last season within the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team. In three years with the squad, the Italian rider has shown great speed and resilience, taking 10 podiums so far despite being sidelined for most of 2015 with two serious injuries. Ducati and Aruba.it would like to thank Davide for his efforts, wishing him all the best for his future career and reiterating their commitment to give him the best possible tools to achieve his first WorldSBK win.

“I had a great time with Ducati,” said Giugliano. “I learned a lot and was given a wealth of experience to draw upon, which is really important for a young rider. We also faced some difficult times, especially last year when I was badly injured, but we’ve always stayed close. We decided to take different paths, but our relationship remains strong: I’m still young, so we may rejoin forces in the future. I sincerely wish Melandri the best and would like to thank everyone in Ducati, especially Paolo Ciabatti, and Aruba.it for all their support. It’s been a great journey, which has yielded great results despite the fact that we would have liked to do more, but I’ll give my best until the end of the season to achieve bigger goals.”

Luigi Dall'Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager: “Chaz Davies has become a key member of the Ducati family, so we’re happy to announce that he will ride with us for two more years. Chaz has shown great progress and we’re confident he can take our bike to even higher grounds. In 2017, he will ride alongside Marco Melandri, who took upon the challenge with great enthusiasm. Marco is a talented rider, he has already achieved prestigious results in WorldSBK and we’re confident that the year spent without racing has not undermined his qualities. We’re obviously sad for Davide Giugliano, who will part ways with us at the end of the year, and we wish him nothing but the best. Davide proved to have great competitiveness, taking many podiums and fastest laps, and has given a crucial input towards the development of the WorldSBK-spec Panigale R. We would like to thank him and guarantee we will give him all our support until the last race to help him achieve the results he deserves.”

Stefano Cecconi, Aruba S.p.A. CEO and Team Principal: “Given that the riders’ choice is among the most important and difficult to make, as the available seats are always less than what we would ideally offer, we had to resort to our ambition and courage while taking all the necessary time to finalize the 2017 line-up. Chaz has shown he can fight for the victory each round. Davide is a young and fast rider, who can become even more competitive, so I hope it’s a ‘see you again’ and not a ‘farewell’ between us. Marco’s resume speaks for itself and puts more pressure, at any rate positive, on us: we want to help him achieve the result that, surely not due to a lack in talent, has eluded him in WorldSBK so far.”

The Devil Made Us Do It!
Testing the Ducati Diavel in Italy

New BMW HP4 Superbike

High Speed - the Movie
The best motorcycle racing movie ever made! Filmed on location at the World Superbike races , this an exciting romantic drama staring beautiful British actress Sienna Miller.